Well, this has been a busy week. Earlier (Tuesday) in the week I declared that personal databases on the Mac were all but dead (here and here). Most traditional database apps have become behemoths or died off.

Apple’s FileMaker Pro is still around, but the Bento personal database for Mac, iPhone, and iPad is mostly dead and gone. Why? Databases are difficult to build for personal use. Well, a few Mac users pointed out that Mac, iPhone, and iPad users still have personal database choices. Here’s a good one.

It Ain’t dBase II

My earliest foray into database development began with the once proud and powerful dBase II running on a noisy, large, and expensive CP/M machine which also doubled as a personal computer of sorts.

When booted up, dBase II stared back at you from the green screens of the day with nothing more than a little green dot. Everything was command line back then so comparing a personal database from the 20th century to the likes of Tap Forms today is totally night and day.

Tap Forms? Yes, this is the 21st century equivalent to a Mac (and iPhone and iPad) personal database; in other words, a database where you do some of the development work to organize your data, rather than relying upon a pre-built, generically designed database where one size fits all.

Tap Forms is a personal data organizer. As in a true personal database, including Bento, you have the option to create a custom layout design (in the Mac version), the entry forms, with ease, and build in up to 20 different field types.

To get you started there are a few dozen included forms, basically database templates, for financial accounts, credit cards, email account lists, health insurance information, and much much more.

Each can be used as is or customized to match your personal database requirements. Tap Forms even comes with a way to import Bento databases.

In many respects Tap Forms is better than FileMaker’s Bento. It’s more customizable and secure but has fewer templates (forms) to get started (Bento’s template community was extensive, but many can be used in Tap Forms on the Mac by using the import function).

The app comes with AES-256 bit encryption for both field-level and full database encryption. Data files can be imported and exported with ease, and it even features barcode scanning built in which is a boon to anyone doing an inventory (using EAN-13, UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, Code 128, Code 39 and QR Codes).

Just to show you how advanced Tap Forms has moved the personal database into the 21st century, it comes with built-in web and FTP transfer capability so you’re not stuck with keeping database files on your Mac, iCloud, or Dropbox (but not full Dropbox support yet). Database backups, though, work on and between Mac, iPhone, and iPad versions (separate version for each).

Tap Forms is not the least expensive personal database you’ll find, but it works well on OS X and iOS devices, has enough forms (templates) to get you started, and it’s a good way to learn how databases work while using it. This one is nicely done, looks great on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and proves that while we have fewer personal database apps to sink our teeth into, a customizable database can be useful even in the 21st century.

5G? Meh!

About Jeffrey Mincey

As a Mac, Windows, and Linux system administrator in Atlanta, Georgia, I've used Macs for almost 30 years (mostly late at night). Read more of my articles here. Check out my Mac tips, tricks, and app reviews at Bohemian Boomer.

Reader Interactions

« Next Article

Previous Article »

Comments

On the syncing capabilities of Tap Forms….a small office that has an iCloud account can have all of it’s computers and devices syncing. For example, my phone and laptop sync to the two desk tops for the secretaries. All of us can add and delete data, as well as create and modify templates that will update everywhere with a mouse click. There is nothing else like it at this time and it’s perfect for a small office. There is a learning curve, but it is low.

Once you get how it works, you will come up with a 100 ways to use it. Password tracker, checkbook, label printer, spreadsheet, invoicing, project management, mileage tracker, printing calculator, etc.

Tap Forms is very versatile. it has replaced spreadsheet software and this is the first time that kind of data is now available everywhere- iPhone included, anytime .

It’s versatile enough that we are coming up with new ways to use it all time, e.g. as label printing software.

If you are a Bento user, Tap Forms addresses a long, long list of feature requests from the Bento user forums.

the beauty of TapForms is that you don’t have to be a programmer to use it. There are plenty of people on the forum that will help you if you are looking how to do something not covered in the user manuals. The developer is quite responsive as well. Gradually moving more of my business on to tap forms replacing quite good apps in there own right but Tap Forms offers the flexibility to customise to the way you work. The other advantage is if the developer ever drops the bundle the export feature is quite good. Cloud sync works well but occasionally I have had a glitch on the Mac but this has been cured easily with a reset. My only beef at this stage is no sort or search feature for imported files attached to records. It works reliably just clumsy for a heavy user. Highly recommended especially on the iPad/iPhone.

Ah, the sweet memories of dBaseII. The holy grail of those days was the free-form database — i.e. where you do not have to organise your information into fields. It was never very well done. I recall struggling with AskSam.

It is important to recognise that there now exist useful free-form databases, including one that features AI as well, exclusively for the Mac. This is DevonThink. I notice on their website a testimonial from a small law firm, saying that DevonThink has enabled them to beat the big boys. They don’t say how, but perhaps it makes it easier for the them to find precedents and navigate huge statutes..

It is also worth noting that there are a some hidden databases around. Final Cut Pro, deep down, is a database.

Primary Sidebar

Search Mac360 »

Sync Your Mac 8 Ways

Backup and sync your Mac eight ways with ChronoSync. Bootable, mirrored, remote, scheduled, local, iOS storage, and automatic backups. Perform trial syncs before the backup, get email notifications of each sync or backup as they complete, archive and restore.

ChronoSync is the site's sponsor this week. Set up' event based backups, sync files and folders between Macs many ways. Pay once, backup forever.